Does The Bible Stop Us From Living?

I have been trying to find out what is life without God and each time I come to the answer, "Nothing".

"War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." George Orwell

Do We Really Live If We Follow the Bible?

I have heard said many times by those who do not follow the words of the Bible and by some who do, that the Bible, as well as the commands in it, keeps us from truly living and really being happy.

This statement would be expected from unbelievers but some of those who believe in the truth of its words think that this is true also. They do not necessarily think of it as a bad thing but instead think of the "chains" as those that protect them and keep them from harm. In this way they admit (and agree) with those who do not believe in its words, that the Scriptures, do, to some degree, prevent them from having certain adventures and learning from "scrapes" and "mistakes" that tend to enrich one's life.

Bathing in the rain is one of the best free experiences of life in my opinion.

The Thrill of Rebellion

I have a very clear memory of a day in my childhood. I had been left in the care of a neighbour and was playing with her children. The rain began to pour and we all thought it was too delicious a rain to pass up. Without asking for consent we dashed into the rain and relished every moment. We ran across to my house because there was a part of the house that really let down a lot of water, we skidded in the mud and did everything we possibly could to dirty ourselves. We were absolutley delighted and felt a little bit wicked at the same time.

Then we were caught.

We got a good talking to.

I had to borrow some dry clothes from the neighbour and when my mother got home I got a good talking to again.

You might think that it was one of the times I took a little taste of freedom and truly enjoyed myself but what you would not know is that at that age I would often get tonsillitis and getting wet in the rain would somehow bring it on. When my mother scolded me the first thing she said to me was that I would get sick, and her voice was laced with worry.

She was right. I did get sick and had to gargle with salt water which was something I hated and still hate to this day because I had to do it so much in my childhood. My friend got roasting fever and had to stay away from school for three days.

I never bathed in the rain without her permission again.

I had had a thrill but it had not been worth it. That day I learned two things - some fun things have bad consequences, and my mother was not against me having fun; she just wanted me to have it and not get hurt.

God is the Ultimate Parent

In a similar fashion, or rather, on a larger scale, God is the ultimate parent and His words are given for a reason. This reason benefits us and keeps us safe. Every parent wants to protect his or her child. God wants to protect His children.

Do His words restrict us?

Yes.

Do His words keep us from freedom?

No.

I believe they keep us from captivity.

The idea that there are alot of things out there that can be done is not a false one. The idea that some of them will not cause us harm physically, mentally, or emotionally, however, is not true. As things go there are reactions for every action, or if you like it, there are consequences for everything that you do.

Some consequences are good while others are bad, of course,but some people view freedom as being able to do both the good and the bad with no regrets. The problem is that there are always regrets unless one walks in the way of God. If we walk in His way then what happens in our lives and the consequences that happen after, are all according to His will and not ours and are therefore meant to be. It really takes a load off of our consciences.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 K.J.V.

Living Freely According to the World

I have seen many people who have consciously decided to living away from the Bible and be free and all claim to be genuinely happy with life. Most have drastic mood swings, tend to get bored easily and do not cherish the smaller things in life. Their relationships are superficial at best and they tend to be quite self-centered individuals. Overall, I would say that they live in a constant state of misery and flit from one entertainment to another looking for something to satisfy their souls or quench the misunderstood thirst in their hearts. I keep looking for one who exudes contentment without resentment that this 'freedom' is marketed as bringing but I have not met anyone yet.

I have met a few people (not many) who are considered to be trapped by following the way of Christ. These people are able to face adversity and praise God even in dark times. If depression starts to sneak in they quickly turn to the word of God and are lifted out of the depths of despair. By keeping themselves away from certain things they free themselves from temptation and I think that temptation and sin are the greatest prisons of all.

The Wall protects us but only we can lock the gate.

The wall that is the word of God is a strong and powerful one but what many tend to forget is that there is a gate that we can choose to have open, shut, or even locked. The locking, I think, can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit.

If there is a gate then the wall does not keep us from being free and living life but instead protects us from bad elements of that life when we need to close the gate because there is a threat on the outside.

The enemy comes in many forms and in many ways but if the gate is shut then the wall will stand strong so that we can keep our lives and live them abundantly.

Comments

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North Wind 5 months agofrom The World (for now)

@ Dianna Mendez, it is amazing how one's point of view can change everything.

Dianna Mendez 5 months ago

Wonderful inspiration on living well. We have freedom through living according to the Bible. Too bad most people cannot see it that way.

Author

North Wind 5 months agofrom The World (for now)

Thanks for reading, Tsad.

Actually, I wrote this because I have recently heard a few laments from professed believers talking about God and His protection in this way. I agree that the problem is a false impression of God. I listened to the excerpt from the sermon and would very much like to hear it in its entirety if you have the link. We get to know Him and what He thinks of us through the Bible and I have found that those believers who have a false impression of Him do not spend time meditating on the word of God but find it tedious. Therein lies the problem.

Well done. But I have never met a true believer who believes "The Bible Stops Us From Living" as you put it. I think the problem lies in a person's (unbeliever or even believer) false impression of God, who he is and how he thinks of us. This excerpt from a sermon explains my point.